Crime

The court entered a not guilty plea on Anthony DeMayo’s behalf as he attended the hearing remotely from Bridgewater State Hospital.

The student charged in the March killing of a woman in her Danvers home appeared remotely in Essex Superior Court for his arraignment Monday, sitting behind a plexiglass window inside Bridgewater State Hospital.

Judge Salim Tabit entered a not guilty plea on Anthony DeMayo’s behalf to charges of murder and home invasion, and ordered him held without bail and without prejudice, meaning the state can revisit the bail issue at a later date.

The arraignment follows a Salem district court judge’s finding in late April that the 18-year-old Bishop Fenwick High School student was incompetent to stand trial, and he was committed to Bridgewater State Hospital for treatment.

On Monday, prosecutors asked the court to order an independent competency evaluation in addition to the hospital’s assessment, a request the judge granted.

Police arrested the Lynn teen in March after Janet Swallow, 68, was found stabbed to death following a break-in at her Danvers home. Officers said they located DeMayo walking down Standish Road in Lynn with a blood-stained knife.

At the time of his arrest, DeMayo allegedly told police he planned the random attack and “wanted to kill someone for a long time.”

Swallow’s two sons also attended Monday’s hearing remotely. 

An Essex County grand jury indicted the Bishop Fenwick High School student on April 2 on charges of murder and home invasion. 

A Salem District Court judge previously ruled him incompetent to stand trial based on an evaluation from Bridgewater.

Defense attorney Kevin Reddington said on April 22 that DeMayo would remain at the hospital for treatment for at least six months before being reevaluated.

The next status hearing is scheduled for May 29, and he is not expected to appear.